Manifold blank-book.



PATENTED DEG. 19, 1905.

J. F. HOLMES.

MANIFOLD BLANK BOOK.

APPLICATION PIL'ED MAR. 3, 1905.

Z b n e 0 M We Witnesses 6.%.W/M

"K i-W UNITED STATES PATENT ()FECE.

MANIFOLD BLANK-BOOK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1905.

Application filed March 3,1905. Serial N0. 248,311.

T0 in whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH FRANK HOLMES, of Kansas City, in the county of Wyandotte and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Manifold Blank- Books; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in manifold blank-books in the form of a combination bill of lading and expense bill for the use of shippers on prepaid shipments and collect shipments.

Heretofore on prepaid shipments it has been the general practice of railroad companies and other common carriers to make out the duplicate and original expense bills, besides extending the rates and figuring the total. By this method mistakes frequently occur, such as leaving out or adding articles to the expense bills, thereby giving rise to claims for shortage on one hand and overcharges on the other hand.

The object of the presentinvention is to overcome these difiiculties by facilitating the clerical work of the shipper and the common carrier and to obliterate all chances for dispute between shipper and carrier on account of claims for shortage or overcharge.

To this end the invention will be hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing the figure is a view in perspective, illustrating my improved manifold blank-book with some of the pages turned up and parts broken away.

Referring to the drawing, it will be noted that I have illustrated a book in which a number of sheets are bound together, these sheets for the purposes of my invention being arranged in sets. The first sheet 10 and second sheet 10 of each set are exact duplicates, being each provided with a receipt-form 11 and suitable columns 13 14 for the extension of the rate and amount of each article consigned. The sheet 10 is provided with a scored or perforated line 15 adjacent the bound edge, whereby the same may be readily detached from the stub thus formed and mailed to the consignee with the invoice. The third sheet 10 is designed for use as a triplicate or loading sheet for the use of the common carrier in checking the freight into the car and, with the exception of suitable printed matter indicating its nature, is an exact duplicate of those previously described. The fourth and fifth sheets are attached to sheet 1O in any preferred manner, the attaching means extending to a point below the scored or perforated line 16, the perforations forming this line extending through all of said attached sheets, whereby stubs are formed. I have found in practice that good results are secu red by gumming these sheets together with any suitable paste or mucilage, as indicated at 12. The

sheets 4 and 5 are designed as duplicate expense bills, and the body of each is provided with blanks and columns Which are exact duplicates of the corresponding divisions of the first sheet. The top of each of the sheets 4 and 5, however, is provided with suitable printed matter indicating the nature of use of the particular blank.

In practice the various sheets of my improved blank-book are made of thin paper, each sheet being of a different color, and double-faced carbon-paper is placed between them. The consignor then makes out the bill of lading by filling in on sheet 1 the name and address of the consignee and the number and nature of the articles to be shipped, together with their weight. By means of the carbonsheets it will be seen that each of the other four sheets will be perfect carbon copies. The book is then taken to the common carrier, whose agent signs the original bill of lading, at the same time tearing out the loading-sheet along the perforated line 16, the fourth and fifth sheets or original and duplicate expense bills being attached thereto. The triplicate or loading ticket (sheet 3) is used as any other loading-ticket for the purpose of checking freight into a car or the like. The original and duplicate expense bills (sheets 4: and 5) are then rated and extended by the clerk haudling that work at the oflice of the common carrier in the same manner as any expense bill. The duplicate expense bill is to be retained by the common carrier as a record of collections, while the original is sent to the consignor for collection and when paid constitutes his receipt.

The advantages of my combined bill of lading and expense bill are obvious to those skilled in the art to which it appertains. It Will be noted that the shipper makes out the entire five sheets at one operation, whereas under the old method the common carrier makes out the duplicate and original expense bills, besides extending the rates and figuring the totals. My invention relieves the carrier of all this work except rating and extending, whereby one man does the Work of two or three clerks without additional labor and simultaneously obviating any possibility of error incident to copying. It saves the shipper from checking over his expense bills when presented for collection with the bill of lading, as such expense bill is an exact copy of said bill of lading. It also saves the shipper from making and keeping a record of prepaid shipments, as the original bill of lading stamped prepaid on its face and retained in the book answers this purpose. It will also, be seen that the expense bill being an exact copy of the bill of lading all possibility of refunds and shortages due to mistakes is obviated, as any mistake which occurs as to the number of articles shipped and their weights would be the result of changes 01' alterations which would also appear on the face of the expense bill and could be readily detected without having to check the same against the original bill of lading.

I claim as my invention- 1. A blank-book of the character described comprising a plurality of sets of sheets bound together, the sheets of each set consisting of an original, a duplicate, and a triplicate, said duplicate and triplicate each being provided with a scored or perforated line adjacent the bound edge, whereby stubs are formed, and a plurality of additional sheets secured to said triplicate along the scored or perforated line, whereby said additional sheets will adhere to said triplicate when the latter is detached from its stub.

2. A manifolding device comprising three sheets an original, a duplicate and a triplicate, said duplicate and triplicate each being provided with a scored or perforated line adjacent one edge, whereby stubs are formed, and a plurality of additional sheets gummed to each other and to said triplicate along the scored or perforated line, whereby said additional sheets will adhere to said triplicate when the latter is detached from its stub.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' JOSEPH FRANK HOLMES.

Witnesses:

v EMMA W. KRUGER,

E. S. MoANANY. 

